8 Beautiful Timepieces From Switzerland’s Biggest Watch Show

In the world of watches, there’s no bigger show than Baselworld. For one week every March, the industry convenes on the small, Rhine-straddling town of Basel, Switzerland, to show off the new timepieces that’ll be making their way onto wrists over the coming year. Despite last year being a tough one for traditional watchmakers, there seemed to be a renewed energy this year and, thankfully, a focus on creating watches at more reasonable prices. Here are a few top picks from Baselworld 2017. This story was created in partnership with the online watch publication Hodinkee. Be sure to read all of their excellent coverage.

Seiko Astron GPS Solar Big Date

Japanese giant Seiko produces incredible watches at every price—from $50 mechanical field watches you can buy on Amazon to hand-made minute repeaters that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and come with multi-year waiting lists. The Astron line is a few years old now, and is marked by a GPS technology that lets the watch adjust to any timezone with just a quick push of a button. This new $2,600 model with the big date complication feels like the most mature Astron yet. The massive solar-cell dial makes sure it’s always charged too.

Credit: Stephen Pulvirent/Hodinkee

Japanese giant Seiko produces incredible watches at every price—from $50 mechanical field watches you can buy on Amazon to hand-made minute repeaters that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and come with multi-year waiting lists. The Astron line is a few years old now, and is marked by a GPS technology that lets the watch adjust to any timezone with just a quick push of a button. This new $2,600 model with the big date complication feels like the most mature Astron yet. The massive solar-cell dial makes sure it’s always charged too.

Rado HyperChrome Captain Cook

Vintage inspiration was the name of the game at this year’s show, and Rado shocked us with this old-school dive watch. Rado is best known for its high tech ceramic watches with glossy finishes and minimalist styling. This is something else entirely. With a 37mm case, the new Captain Cook ($1,800) looks and feels almost exactly like the original from 1962. The luminous markers and hands have a slight faux-aged look and you would definitely be forgiven for mistaking this for a decades-old ticker on some else’s wrist. Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Credit: Stephen Pulvirent/Hodinkee

Vintage inspiration was the name of the game at this year’s show, and Rado shocked us with this old-school dive watch. Rado is best known for its high tech ceramic watches with glossy finishes and minimalist styling. This is something else entirely. With a 37mm case, the new Captain Cook ($1,800) looks and feels almost exactly like the original from 1962. The luminous markers and hands have a slight faux-aged look and you would definitely be forgiven for mistaking this for a decades-old ticker on some else’s wrist. Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Rolex Sky-Dweller In Stainless Steel

The Sky-Dweller is the most complicated watch Rolex makes today. It shows the hours, minutes, and seconds, with a second timezone on the circular track in the center. It displays the date and month as well, and those only need to be adjusted once per year at the end of February. However, until now, it wasn’t among the most handsome. There was always something about it that was a little too much. With a stainless steel case and bracelet, plus a simplified dial that ditches numerals in favor of fat luminous batons, the $14,400 Sky-Dweller is finally a star. Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Credit: Stephen Pulvirent/Hodinkee

The Sky-Dweller is the most complicated watch Rolex makes today. It shows the hours, minutes, and seconds, with a second timezone on the circular track in the center. It displays the date and month as well, and those only need to be adjusted once per year at the end of February. However, until now, it wasn’t among the most handsome. There was always something about it that was a little too much. With a stainless steel case and bracelet, plus a simplified dial that ditches numerals in favor of fat luminous batons, the $14,400 Sky-Dweller is finally a star. Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Longines Heritage 1945

Some brands take vintage inspiration to different levels than others. This watch is an almost total recreation of a watch owned by fellow Hodinkee founder Benjamin Clymer that Longines spotted on his Instagram feed about a year ago. With a 40mm case, it’s a little bigger, and there’s an automatic movement inside now. But the dial proportions, that soft salmon-colored finish, and the long, slim hands were all preserved perfectly. Longines has even put it on a vintage-looking suede strap to complete the look. It’s a great example of why less design can sometimes be so much more. $1,700. Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Credit: Stephen Pulvirent/Hodinkee

Some brands take vintage inspiration to different levels than others. This watch is an almost total recreation of a watch owned by fellow Hodinkee founder Benjamin Clymer that Longines spotted on his Instagram feed about a year ago. With a 40mm case, it’s a little bigger, and there’s an automatic movement inside now. But the dial proportions, that soft salmon-colored finish, and the long, slim hands were all preserved perfectly. Longines has even put it on a vintage-looking suede strap to complete the look. It’s a great example of why less design can sometimes be so much more. $1,700. Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Nomos Glashütte Club Campus

Presenting value-driven watches has always been crucial for Nomos Glashütte, and the Club Campus represents a new entry point into the German brand. The trio of new Club models are intended to be first watches for new graduates or those just bit by the horological bug. The California dials (those with half Roman and half Arabic numerals) have funky colored accents. Paired with the architectural case, they help the watches straddle the sport/dress divide. The movement inside is manually wound and made almost entirely by Nomos in the Saxon hills, doubling down on that value proposition. It looks equally sharp on both men and women. The 36mm (pictured) is $1,500, and the 38mm is $1,650. Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Credit: Stephen Pulvirent/Hodinkee

Presenting value-driven watches has always been crucial for Nomos Glashütte, and the Club Campus represents a new entry point into the German brand. The trio of new Club models are intended to be first watches for new graduates or those just bit by the horological bug. The California dials (those with half Roman and half Arabic numerals) have funky colored accents. Paired with the architectural case, they help the watches straddle the sport/dress divide. The movement inside is manually wound and made almost entirely by Nomos in the Saxon hills, doubling down on that value proposition. It looks equally sharp on both men and women. The 36mm (pictured) is $1,500, and the 38mm is $1,650. Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Omega Railmaster

Originally made for scientists back in 1957, the Omega Railmaster is one of the most classic watches in the brand’s history. Yet, it’s somehow fallen almost entirely into memory. Luckily, this year brings a new Railmaster—the first in decades—and it’s a good one. The watches have just enough nostalgia factor (those large luminous markers, the crosshair on the dial, and the lollipop seconds hand) and they pack a Master Chronometer certified movement inside, meaning they’re about as accurate as mechanical watches get. If you could only wear one watch for the rest of your life, it would be hard to argue against this being it. $4,900 (strap) $5,100 (bracelet). Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Credit: Stephen Pulvirent/Hodinkee

Originally made for scientists back in 1957, the Omega Railmaster is one of the most classic watches in the brand’s history. Yet, it’s somehow fallen almost entirely into memory. Luckily, this year brings a new Railmaster—the first in decades—and it’s a good one. The watches have just enough nostalgia factor (those large luminous markers, the crosshair on the dial, and the lollipop seconds hand) and they pack a Master Chronometer certified movement inside, meaning they’re about as accurate as mechanical watches get. If you could only wear one watch for the rest of your life, it would be hard to argue against this being it. $4,900 (strap) $5,100 (bracelet). Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Automatique

You probably think of jewelry when you think of Bulgari, but the Italian design house has been cranking out some seriously good watches over the last few years. But this is a new favorite: The Octo Finissimo Automatique ($13,900) is the thinnest automatically-winding watch being made today. It comes in a futuristic titanium case with a matching ultra-light bracelet. Everything about this watch feels forward-looking, and it’s a lot easier to wear than you might think, given the shape. Trying one on is easy, taking it off is hard. Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Credit: Stephen Pulvirent/Hodinkee

You probably think of jewelry when you think of Bulgari, but the Italian design house has been cranking out some seriously good watches over the last few years. But this is a new favorite: The Octo Finissimo Automatique ($13,900) is the thinnest automatically-winding watch being made today. It comes in a futuristic titanium case with a matching ultra-light bracelet. Everything about this watch feels forward-looking, and it’s a lot easier to wear than you might think, given the shape. Trying one on is easy, taking it off is hard. Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Tissot Ballade

It’s a common misconception that you have to spend Tesla Model X money to get an awesome watch. It’s not true. Tissot, for example, consistently creates great, relatively affordable timepieces. The new Ballade collection ($925) builds on the well-regarded Powermatic 80 line to offer an everyday kind of watch with an 80-hour power reserve and a silicon balance spring for less than half of what most brands would charge for those kinds of things. The new dial styling here is very 1950s and the little touch of texture on the bezel adds some dynamism too. Read the full report on Hodinkee.

Credit: Stephen Pulvirent/Hodinkee

It’s a common misconception that you have to spend Tesla Model X money to get an awesome watch. It’s not true. Tissot, for example, consistently creates great, relatively affordable timepieces. The new Ballade collection ($925) builds on the well-regarded Powermatic 80 line to offer an everyday kind of watch with an 80-hour power reserve and a silicon balance spring for less than half of what most brands would charge for those kinds of things. The new dial styling here is very 1950s and the little touch of texture on the bezel adds some dynamism too. Read the full report on Hodinkee.